‘We’re feeling it right now’: WSU softball, baseball both on fire after Houston sweep
No school is on a bigger tear this spring than Wichita State when it comes to baseball and softball.
While the baseball team was finishing off its sweep of Houston at Eck Stadium this week, the softball team was pulling off the same sweep of Houston at Wilkins Stadium.
After taking three of four games at Houston in mostly pitcher’s duels, WSU’s offense came alive this week at home to complete the sweep of the Cougars. The Shockers won all four games by at least six runs and by a combined scored of 40-6 to improve to 19-9 on the season and 7-1 in American Athletic Conference play.
“We’re feeling it right now,” said WSU’s Derek Shaver, who hit a grand slam in Sunday’s 13-2 win. “We’re having a lot more energy in the dugout and we’re all just enjoying it right now. We’re trusting the process and trusting what Wedge tells us and it’s starting to pay off. We’re having a lot of fun right now.”
The softball team picked up two run-rule wins over Houston, 13-5 in six innings and 11-2 in five innings, then won 8-3 and 10-7 on Sunday to complete the sweep. It was the second straight conference series sweep, as WSU improved to 11-1 in AAC play and established a 1 1/2-game lead atop the American standings after three weeks of play.
And with a 28-5 overall record, the Shockers are likely heading toward cracking the coaches’ top 25 poll after being the first team outside the rankings last week.
WSU has done it in record-setting fashion, as the offense crushed the single-season home run record during the Houston series and only needed 31 games to do it.
Eight different WSU players hit home runs against Houston, while the Shockers hit a total of 12 in four games. Lauren Mills led the way with three homers, while Sydney McKinney and Addison Barnard each had two, then Madison Perrigan, Kaylee Huecker, Bailee Nickerson, Neleigh Herring and Ryleigh Buck all had one.
WSU trailed 5-1 after the top of the second inning in the first game, then rallied behind the long ball. Perrigan smashed a grand slam to tie the game in the bottom half and WSU scored 12 unanswered runs in a 13-5 win.
Houston rallied to tie the game in the top of the fifth in Sunday’s series finale, but Mills and Huecker hit back-to-back home runs to open up the lead and Barnard added another late home run to seal a 10-7 win.
The WSU baseball team sat at 8-8 earlier this season with its pitching staff struggling in nonconference games. Since that rough start, the Shockers have won 11 of 12 games with a pitching staff that has been downright dominant.
“As we worked into the season, these guys have gotten more comfortable on the mound and that includes the starting pitching, which has been leading the way for us,” WSU manager Eric Wedge said. “(Pitching coach) Mike Pelfrey has been doing a great job making adjustments with the guys and that’s what you’ve got to do at this level. Each game tells you a story about the adjustments you need to make.”
Preston Snavely won the series opener for WSU, striking out seven in seven innings and allowing two earned runs for the win. Liam Eddy followed with his own gem, striking out 11 in eight innings and allowing only one earned run. Freshman Jace Kaminska improved to 3-0 on the mound with a complete game win on Saturday, allowing just one earned run and striking out seven.On Sunday, Spencer Hynes picked up another win against his former team with five innings of work and two earned runs allowed.
“We’ve just been throwing more strikes and not trying to do too much,” Hynes said. “We’re pitching to contact and trying to get outs and win games. Throw up as many zeroes as possible and just execute on the mound.”
While the baseball team is off until a road trip to Tulane for a four-game series starting on Friday, the softball team hosts Kansas City for a Tuesday doubleheader before a crucial conference showdown at preseason favorite Central Florida (29-9, 9-3 AAC) starting Friday.
Michael Bryan breaks hammer throw record again
For the third straight week, the WSU men’s track and field team’s hammer throw record was broken by senior Michael Bryan. This week, Bryan’s career-best toss of 230 feet, 2 inches at the Wichita State Open at Cessna Stadium moved him up to the fifth-best mark in the country this season.
Bryan earned the AAC Athlete of the Week honors last week and now leads the conference in the event and is second in the West Region.
“I’m obviously really excited about Michael Bryan,” WSU coach Steve Rainbolt told GoShockers.com. “He just keeps getting better and better. He’s having a special season. They’re even more special because he has worked so hard and come so far. He’s improved so much since he got here.”
Women’s tennis wins three matches this week
A busy week for the WSU women’s tennis team ended with three wins in four matches with the only loss coming to No. 42-ranked Oklahoma State.
The Shockers swept Creighton, 4-0, on Tuesday, then won at Kansas City, 4-2, and finished the week off on Sunday with a 4-2 road win at Memphis for their first conference win. After an 3-11 start to the season, WSU has won seven of its last 10 matches.
Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva won a three-set battle at No. 1 singles on Sunday to wrap up the road win for the Shockers at Memphis. The women’s team travels to Tulane on Monday to wrap up the regular season, then will prepare for the AAC championships in Orlando starting next Wednesday.
The WSU men’s tennis team, which ascended to No. 29 in the national rankings this past week, are in the midst of a grueling road stretch where it was scheduled to play three ranked teams in a span of four days.
The Shockers fell 5-2 in the opening match at No. 24 Tulane with the only wins coming in singles play from No. 1 Murkel Dellien and No. 5 Nicolas Acevedo. WSU’s Sunday match at No. 39 South Florida was canceled due to weather, while the Shockers hope they can get in a showdown against No. 9 Central Florida at 10 a.m. Monday.
This story was originally published April 11, 2021 at 3:29 PM.
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